Sunday, 4 September 2011

All around the world...

One of my favourite things about this here blog is getting comments, tweets and emails from readers. I think I like emails the most because I recognise that it takes a lot more effort for a someone to open up a window in their already busy browser, log in to their web-based email account and compose a new email full of nice words before sending off to little old me.

Over the last two years of this blog, I have received emails from many people and have genuinely treasured them all (gush alert). Some of these emails have come from places you'd least expect. I've received emails from France, Switzerland, Italy and Poland where ex-Bush residents now live and I've even had an email from a one time Bush Bloke who now lives in USA but regularly checks in with this blog. I've also had emails from Australia where two people with Bush roots (is that my first Aussie double entendre!?!) are now living but are still very interested in and in many ways are still connected to Shepherd's Bush.

One of these was Paul who emailed me many months ago to discuss general Bush bits and bobs, and after I broke the news of my imminent departure he also reached out to me and offered to shout NewMan and I a couple of beers should we end up in his corner of Australia.

Paul was born and grew up in Shepherd's Bush and he regularly returns to visit his family and friends who still live there. He sent me this brilliant photograph of "the feared Tamarisk Square W12 gang" taken in the mid 1960s, which features Paul (aka Sludger) in the middle. It's like Shepherd's Bush very own Stand by Me. Thank you for sharing this with me Sludger.

I wanted to give Paul a special mention not only because of his kind offer (which we'll definitely try to be in the right place to accept) but also because he has reminded me that you don't have to live somewhere to love it.

This weekend was our moving weekend (a whole other blog post) and it was nice to have this in the back of my mind as I became a very tired and emotional Bird.

It is also worth mentioning Paul because he is quite clearly the biggest QPR nut (and believe me I've met a few through this blog, all very lovely (gush alert, again). If you need proof look no further than his Twitter profile photo of his two sons and his car with the registration QPR FC. I love this kind of representing all the way on the other side of the world.

Thank you to Paul and all of you in the Bush and all over the world for all your very kind and always entertaining tweets, emails and comments recently and always.